Perth Amboy Council Members Unite Behind Mayor Diaz’s Challenger

There are five members of Perth Amboy’s city council. One of them, Fernando Irizarry, is running on Mayor Wilda Diaz’s slate in the November election. Another, Councilman Joel Pabon, is running against her. The other three are supporting Pabon as he aims to win the seat Diaz has held for eight years.

In a Wednesday press release, Perth Amboy council members Fernando Gonzalez, Lisa Nanton and William A. Petrick announced that they “collectively believe that Joel Pabon can provide the leadership that Perth Amboy needs going forward.”

Gonzalez had initially prepared himself for a run at the mayor’s seat. He claims that Perth Amboy has “remained stagnant” during Diaz’s tenure.

“Joel Pabon has strong ties to the community, common sense, experience and a real understanding of government,” Gonzalez said in the statement.

In 2008, when Diaz won her first term, she said she would only pursue two terms as mayor. If she won her mayoral campaign this year, she would enter her third term. During an event last month, Diaz said that a third term is critical because her work in Perth Amboy is yet to be finished.

Pabon is currently serving his second term on the Perth Amboy city council. He is a former city council president. Pabon is running on the “Real Leadership for Perth Amboy” slate with Kenneth Puccio and Angel (Mota) Ramirez.